Vector magnetic field observations of flux tube emergence

With Flare Genesis Experiment (FGE), a balloon borne Observatory high spatial and temporal resolution vector magnetograms have been obtained in an emerging active region. The comparison of the observations (FGE and TRACE) with a linear force-free field analysis of the region shows where the region is non-force-free. An analysis of the magnetic topology furnishes insights into the existence of "bald patches" regions (BPs are regions where the vector field is tangential to the boundary (photosphere) along an inversion line). Magnetic reconnection is possible and local heating of the chromosphere is predicted near the BPs. Ellerman bombs (EBs) were found to coincide with few BPs computed from a linear force-free extrapolation of the observed longitudinal field. But when the actual observations of transverse fields were used to identify BPs, then the correspondence with EB positions improved significantly. We conclude that linear force-free extrapolations must be done with the true observed vertical fields, which require the measurement of the three components of the magnetic field.